Day 111 Easter Monday

4/21/2025

The world awakened this morning to the news that Pope Francis of Roman Catholic Church, previously known as Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Archbishop of Buenos Aires, had died after suffering for several months, succumbing to heart failure. For believers and followers of Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior death comes sweetly as indeed a new life dawns, and we pass from death to life. Those who remain mourn the loss of their loved ones. Now a process begins to select the new Pope, while the world watches and waits. A detailed brief of his life and succession can be found in Epoch Times. It has been some time since I read his complete story, and although I follow some events, honestly I have not followed his life since rising to this position as pope. I do know that he was loved and revered, and he will be missed.

Following Passover, our Jewish friends begin the Feast of Weeks by counting the omer (wheat shaft)  leading up to Shavuot which commemorates the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai. Christians count the days by prayer and fasting until the day of Pentecost when the Spirit of God is poured out on the disciples and other followers of Christ who were waiting in the upper room, as instructed by Jesus in Acts 1:8: "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." I imagine they were a little apprehensive as they prayed and waited.

For me on this Monday after the celebration of our Resurrected King it is a time of continued rest and reflection, as I continue to meditate on the days following Christ's return to His high heavenly position seated at the right hand of the Father. As I become more acquainted with our Hebraic roots as Christians, I marvel at the precision of each of the feasts of the Lord. I love the fact that my Jewish friends desire to obey God in following His feast day schedule as listed in the Torah. It must have taken a great deal of effort to follow the law, but then we discover that in history, no one could follow the law perfectly. God knew this, and He provided a better way through the sacrifice of the perfect Lamb of God - Jesus. God knew that human beings could never reach the perfection required to have a relationship with Him, because He is holy. So Jesus provided the better blood sacrifice, once and for all, by selflessly taking our sin and shame, so we could live in personal relationship with God. I am forever grateful that Jesus loved me that much.

I have been enjoying early morning devotional time with Pastor Jack Hibbs of Calvary Chapel in Chino, California. He gives his listeners a daily scripture that we mediate on during the day. Praying the word is the proper way to intercede. God's word is living, active, alive! In John's gospel, Jesus is called the bread of life, and the sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. This is why it is so important to get serious about our relationship with Jesus. Reading the Word daily will strengthen our walk, and it will transform our lives into His character. I have mentioned before that each year I walk through the Bible, and each time, I see something fresh, new and alive, a word just for me. Fresh manna from on high. This is our spiritual food, and it is bread from heaven much like God sent manna for the people as they walked the desert for 40 years. God always provides nourishment. It is also healing. I challenge you to do word studies about prayer needs or questions you may have. Ask for scriptures, and once you have the scriptures make a prayer using the words. I find that Psalm 119 is full of healing prayers and how to walk as a follower of the Lord. When my children were young, I wrote prayers mostly from Psalm 119 so they would hear the word prayed over them, or for me, as I trusted God with their young lives. Devotionals and other books by good Biblical authors are great, but reading the Bible each day is so much better. You don't need to search for man's interpretation. Learn to trust the word of the Lord and meditate on the meaning, and talk directly to our Father. He loves for us to sit in His presence. You will be equipped to run your race well, and you will learn to know Him better.

Our verse for today is Job 12:13: "With Him are wisdom and strength, He has counsel and understanding." Isn't that a great verse, especially when you are seeking an answer regarding a need or a decision. God is all wisdom, and there is strength in seeking wise counsel, because it brings understanding. Bring your need before the throne of God based on this word, make the prayer your own. Seek other parallel scriptures such as Proverbs 3:5-6: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path." There is power in the word, and God wants us to remind Him of His promises. 

Today, get alone with the Lord, meditate on His word, and talk to Him as you would a friend. He loves the fellowship of those who love His Son, who love Him and who are called according to His purpose.